Item List Will Van Allen 1874 - Read More

Fred J Bacon < Back Fred J Bacon 1871 to 1948 .. was one of the leading banjo soloists of America, was born in 1871, became a pupil of A A Farland and started his professional career at the age of 16 years. In 1890 he met a lady who was to become his wife and stage partner in tours that for many years took them across the USA from NY to California. In 1908 he opened a studio at Forestdale, Vermont and with the title of "The Bacon Manufacturing Company " first advertised the "Bacon Professional Banjo" which had been made for him by the Vega Co . of Boston Mass. By 1921 he had formed the Bacon Banjo Co. with a factory at Grotton, Conn. to manufacrure instruments that were said to "incorporate the ideas of tone and workmanship by the President Fred J Bacon" . Bacon banjos were in demand and the factory kept working overtime to fulfill orders. On September 18th 1922 David L Day, with 39 years of of experience behind him left the Vega company and joined the Bacon Banjo Co as Vice President and General Manager and sson after the instruments were branded with the "B&D Silver Bell" trade mark. The Depression of 1929 seriously affected the company's business and in 1939 it was taken over by Fred Gretch Mfg. co. Inc. of 60 Broadway Brooklyn, New York. which continued t0 make the "B&D" banjos. Fred Bacon died in 1948 and David L Day in 1956. Find more information at banjoonmyknee.com Pictures courtesy of Smakula's Fretted Instruments Previous Next

C F Allen < Back C F Allen ...of 193 Great Brinswick Street, Dublin was a successful teacher of the banjo and a promoter of local concerts from about 1890 to the turn of the century. He sold banjos bearing his name as maker but it is thought they were made for him by Barnes & Mullins. Previous Next

Item List Thomas William Bacon 1841 to 1918 Read More

Item List Riley - Baker Read More

Item List John G Abbott 1878 to 1938 Read More

Baldwin < Back Baldwin In October 1966 it was announced that the Baldwin Piano and Organ Company of Cincinnati, OH, had bought the Ode Banjo Company of Boulder, Colorado. The Ode Factory at Boulder, With Mel Placke as Plant Manager and Charles Ogsbury as consultant continue to make the banjos in three styles sold under the name of Baldwin through the companies guitar division. Pictures courtesy of Intermountain Guitar & Banjo Previous Next

Item List Ball, Beavon & Co Read More

Barnes & Mullins < Back Barnes & Mullins 1872-1932 and 1873-1954 ....Samuel Bowley Barnes (b 1872 in Wimborne, Dorset) and Albert Edward Mullins (b 1873 in Bristol) were boyhood friends in their home town of Wimborne where they worked together at the local grocers shop. As young men they decide to join forces to become dealers in musical instruments; mainly selling banjos and mandolins in which they were particularly interested. Being players of no mean ability their public appearances helped them to sell their goods and soon they were despatching instruments all over the country, also because of their advertising and the launching (in February 1894) of their monthly fretted Instrument magazine called “The 'Jo." ("The 'Jo" title was changed to “The Troubadour" after a couple of years.) Both their sets of parents had died during the 1880's and while Mullins was living with his brother in law in 1891 neither appear on the 1901 census. They started to sell their "own" make of banjo but these were made for them by J. G. Abbott , W. E. Temlett . Windsor , Matthew , etc. - the usual makers "to the trade" at that time. It was in 1897 they patented their “mute attachment" which was fitted to B. & M. zither-banjos and worked from under the vellum. At the end of 1900 they moved to London and established themselves at Rathbone Place, off London's Oxford Street, as a wholesale house in all musical instruments and merchandise and, soon after, started their own workshops at Harrow, Middlesex. which at first were under the supervision of John G Abbott. During the dance-band boom they marketed- their "Lyratone" banjos, plectrum banjos and tenor-banjo which enjoyed considerable popularity. A feature of these instruments was the all-metal construction of the hoops. In 1924 Barnes was granted a patent simplifying the tensioning of the skin on a zither banjo through a redesigned tension ring. They ceased making banjos soon after the outbreak of World War II. the instruments branded "B. & M." sold from about 1965, have been made for them in Germany. Previous Next

Robert H Benary < Back Robert H Benary .. was a instrument retailer/maker in New York in the last decade of the 19th C, who's banjo's were probably made by Buckbee. He was issued a patent for a tail piece and around 1895 the company changed its name to the Metropolitan Musical Instrument Co. They marketed both 5, 6 & 7 string banjo's fretted or flush fret under the "Celebrated Benary" name engraved on a plate on the heel. Previous Next

Thomas William Bacon < Back Thomas William Bacon 1841 to 1918 ... was born in Bethnal Green where he married a local girl. By 1871 he was living at 15 Saville Place, Lambeth, Surrey and was recorded as a musician with three children. Ten years laster he had moved to Endell Street where he was clearly had a good business, making good quality well finished instruments, as he had seven children and employed a servant. During most of his life he preferred to be known by his middle name William. Earlier banjos have the address as 26 ENDELL St LONDON W.C. and later banjos omit the W.C. Early models included a gut strung 6 string fretless with five friction pegs in the head and a 5th string peg. Later models included a slotted peg head with tunnelled 5th string and with the end of the perchpole fed through the pot where the tailpiece was attached to it. Hi later models can be rocognised by his signature mother or pearl inlay which was a large dot surrounded by 4 small dots .. see peghead and 14th fret marker Previous Next

Item List Barnes & Mullins 1872-1932 and 1873-1954 Read More